Inbetween
by darkangelgirl20
Summary: The story of Asura Hyuuga, who is the only known person with both the Sharingan and the Byakugan, and how her fate is intertwined with not only Naruto, but Gaara and Sasuke as well.
1. Enter, Asure Hyuuga

My name is Asura Hyuuga. Along with my cousins, Neji and Hinata, I possess the Byakugan. However, the only people who know of my existence are Juriya, Uncle Hiashi, Kakashi Hatake, and Sarutobi-sensei. At least until I entered the academy. I figure I should explain a little more.  
My mother was Hinami Hyuuga, the younger sister of Hiasha and Hizashi. I never knew who my father was, but it must have been a big deal since I was kept on lock down. As soon as I was born, I was taken into Juriya's home, since my mother had died giving birth to me. Being trained by not only a legendary Sannin, but the Hokage as well has it's perks. By the time I entered the academy, I was already considered a prodigy, seeing as I have an abnormal long range with my Byakugan, but also an abnormal grasp on the Gentle Fist technique my clan is known for. This is also where I first met not only my cousin Hinata, but the child of the Fourth Hokage himself, Naruto Uzumaki.  
I had no interest in the loud mouthed idiot, watching along with Sasuke Uchiha as he failed time and time again. However, the child never gave up, earning at least a shred of my respect, which isn't an easy feat. Not even any of the Sannin hold my respect. The other thing was he was always trying to out-do Sasuke, as well as gain the attention of Sakura Haruno. She was the most well known of Sasuke's fan girls, along with Ino Yaminaka. That was the most attention I paid to him, until the day he passed and became a Genin. "Team 7," Iruka-sensei called out, "Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Asura Hyuuga." Little did I know that day would change my life forever.  
With living with Juriya, I had heard a lot of things I wasn't supposed to. One of which was what the Uzumaki boy was a jinchuriki. He was the container of the Kyuubi. However, with the maturity he has now, the boy will never grow into his abilities. As we waited in the classroom, the knucklehead ninja set up a prank for our instructor. As Kakashi Hatake walked through the door, I couldn't help but smirk. I knew his reputation as the Copy-Cat Ninja, and wanted to see it in action for myself. _Maybe today is my lucky day._ " Hmm, how can I put this? My first impression of this group, you're all a bunch of idiots." We all sweat dropped. With that, we made our way to the roof. "All right, why don't you all introduce yourselves, one at a time?"  
"Introduce ourselves? Well what are we supposed to say?" Asked Sakura. _Isn't she supposed to be the smart one?_  
"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies, things like that."  
"Well why don't you tell us stuff first, like tell us about you. That way we can see how it's supposed to work." Through in Naruto. _Not bad._  
"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate, I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future, I haven't really thought about it. As for my hobbies, I have lots of hobbies."  
"That was totally useless. All he told us was his name." _Did you expect him to tell us more? We haven't earned his respect._  
"Alright, your turn. You on the right, you first."  
"Believe it! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant ramen in a cup and I really like the ramen Iruka-sensei got me at the Ichiraku Noodle shop. But I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you poor the water in the ramen cup. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them. And my future dream is, to be the greatest Hokage. Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody, somebody important." _Hokage huh? Just like his father. I wonder if he knows._  
"Alright next."  
"I'm Sakura Haruno. What I like...well I mean the person I like is...my hobby is..uh...My dream for the future is... _squeal..."_  
"And? What do you hate?"  
"Naruto!" _Typical fan girl. It's pathetic really._  
"Girls your age are more interested in boys than ninja training. Alright next."  
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and destroy a certain someone." _He still is bitter over the Uchiha massacre. No one can blame him._  
"Alright, last one."  
"My name is Asura Hyuuga. I don't like anything, and I hate fan girls. They are nothing but annoying. My hobby is training to become better, and my dream is to become a top class Kunoichi. Then maybe my father will step forward and claim me."  
"Just as I thought. Good, you're each unique and you have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow."  
"Uh, what kinda mission are we going to have?"  
"It's a task the five of us will do together."  
"What, what, what, what?"  
"Just tell them already Kakashi." I threw in.  
"It's a survival exercise."  
"Huh, survival exercise?"  
" I thought we were supposed to have a real mission, not more practice. We already did this stuff at the academy. That's how we got here." _Way to state the obvious._  
" This is not like your previous training."  
"So uh..so uh, what kinda training is it then?" _Idiot._  
Kakashi chuckled. "Hey, hold on. That's a normal question. What's so funny?"  
"If he tells you the answer, you won't like it." I threw out.  
"Out of the 28 graduates who came here, only 10 will be accepted as Genin. The other 18 will be weeded out and sent back to the academy."  
"In other words, it's a make it or break it, pass/fail test. And the chance we'll fail is at least 66%." _Figures he'd do what Minato did._  
" She did tell you you wouldn't like it."  
"That's crazy! We worked hard to get here! Believe it! What was that graduation test for anyway?"  
"Oh that? That was just to select the candidates that might become Genin. Or not."  
"What?"  
"That's how it is. I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at 5 A.M. And bring your ninja gear. That's it. You're dismissed. Oh, tomorrow you better skip breakfast, or else you'll puke." With that he poofed off.  
"Hey Asura, how did you know?" Sakura asked. I noticed Sasuke shift his attention towards me as well.  
"I know Kakashi. He helped raise me after my mother died, since my father wouldn't claim me." With that I poofed away. _I wonder if Sasuke knows who killed his clan. Or if Naruto knows who his parents really were..._  
The next day, Kakashi arrived at 11. "Morning everyone. Waiting for me?"  
"You're late!" _They should get used to it._  
"Well a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way. Well, let's get started. It's set for noon. Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me. If you can't get them by noon, you go without lunch. You'll be tied to those posts, and you'll watch as I eat my lunch in front of you." _Isn't that a little extreme?_  
"Wait a minute, there's four of us. How come there's only 3 bells?" _Ding, ding, ding. The genius figures it out._  
"That way, at least one of you will wind up tied to a post, and ultimately be disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the academy. Then again, all four of you can flunk out, too. You can use any weapons, including shurikens. If you aren't prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells."  
"Those weapons are too dangerous sensei!"  
"Haha especially since you couldn't dodge that eraser." _Naruto you idiot. He isn't a Jounin for nothing._  
"Class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can safely ignore them. Lowest scores. Losers. When I say start, you can begin."  
Of course, being the idiot Naruto was, he charged forward and was caught by Kakashi. "Don't be in such a hurry. I didn't say start yet."


	2. KIA Stone

"But, you came at me with the full intention to kill. How can I say this? I'm actually starting to like you guys." Kakashi said with a pause. "Get ready." We all got in a stance, mine being the stance for the Gentle Fist. _Legs apart, knees bent. One hand forward, striking hand back. "_ And...start!" The other 3 vanished and I was left with Kakashi.  
"Is there a reason you're doing the same test Minato did to you, Rin, and Obito?" I asked, hoping to strike a nerve by mentioning his fallen teammates. Low blow, but when it's all or nothing, you use what you have. That was a very important lesson I learned from Sarutobi-sensei.  
*Flashback*  
" _You must strike with the intent to kill. In an all or nothing situation, use whatever you can. But, be prepared. Someone like me could do emotional damage, considering it is very effect against even most ninja. I could start with Hinami and end with your father." Sarutobi-sensei said._  
" _Do you know who my father is?"_  
 _"Yes, but now is not the time to think of it my child. You will learn when you are ready."  
*_End Flashback*  
"Byakugan!" With that I could not only see all of his chakra points, but the chakra points of the others as well.  
"So, you already know Byakugan. Tell me, how good is your Gentle Fist?" and with that he came at me. I feigned a strike and then poofed to where Naruto was.  
"Naruto, the only way to win this is to work together to get the bells."  
"No way! I have to prove how strong I am. I want the village to see I'm someone, not just a brat." I sweat dropped. _They haven't figured out the assignment yet. How is he Minato's son?_  
I knew he would be thick headed, so I poofed to Sakura. I hate fan girls, but maybe the "genius" could have figured out the mission. "Sakura, the only way we will win this is if we work together."  
"No way! You'll only try to take Sasuke from me! I'll work with Sasuke." With that she ran off to find Sasuke. Next I heard her scream. _He used Genjutsu._ I poofed to Sasuke and found him with only his head sticking above ground.  
"The only way to win this is to work together."  
"No way. There's no way any of you losers could keep up with me."  
"Ha, and you call yourself an Uchiha. Learn a little humility and maybe you will be a prodigy like your brother was." With that, Sasuke broke from the ground and jumped off. _So, he does know it was Itachi. I wonder if he knows why Itachi did it._  
I then went back to find Kakashi-sensei. He turned to face me with Icha Icha Makeout Paradise in his hand. I sweat dropped. _I knew he was a pervert but really? Does it have to be one of Juriya's books?_ "I suggest you put it down. Since I cannot convince them to work together, I will just get the bells for them." with that, I charged and started a round of Taijutsu, making him put the book away and concentrate. Just as I touched the first bell, the timer went off. We all met back at the posts, seeing Naruto already tied to one.  
"Uh oh. Stomachs growling huh? That's too bad. Oh by the way, about this exercise, I've decided I won't send any of you back to the academy." _Damn idiots, we really failed._  
"What? I passed? All I did was faint and fall over. Do you get points for that?"  
"Then..then..that means all four of us...all four of us.."  
"Yes, all four of you are being dropped from the program. Permanently."  
"Drop us from the program? That means we can never become ninja! You said if we couldn't take the bells, we'd be sent back to the academy! You can't just change your mind and kick us out! Why would you do that?" _We didn't work together._  
" Because you don't think like ninja. You think like little kids. Like brats." and of course, Sasuke charges him.  
"Sasuke, you think it's all about you." I threw in, knowing where Kakashi was going.  
"Let go of Sasuke! You can't squish him like a bug!"  
"You don't know what it means to be a ninja. You think it's a game huh? Why do you think they put us on squads? Did you consider that question for one moment?" I asked.  
"I don't know what you mean."  
"She means you never realized what this exercise was all about. Not even close."  
"What it's about?"  
"Yes, that's what determines whether we pass or fail."  
"But that's...I mean I wanted to ask you about that from the beginning." _Then why did you refuse me?_  
"Use your head. Three people, or in this case four, on a squad. Why do you think we would do that? "  
"Argh! How are we supposed to know why you picked four people? We don't make the rules!" _Naruto you idiot._  
"It's so basic. Teamwork! Why do you think I approached each of you and told you the only way to win was to work together?"  
"Wait, just working together is that what you mean?  
"That's what she means. It's too late now, but if all four of you had come at me, you might have been able to take them. The only ones that even got close were Sasuke and Asura. Well, anyway. It's over."  
"You set it up with four people, and only three bells. If we worked together and got the bells, only three of us could keep them, and that would lead to group conflict and the group would break up."  
"Exactly, I purposefully pitted you against each other. I wanted to see if you could overcome that, and put the squad ahead of yourselves. A Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork. But for you, it never even crossed your mind. Sakura, you obsessed about Sasuke, who was gone, while Naruto was right in front of you and you wouldn't lift a finger to help him. Naruto, you do everything on your own. Everything. And you, Sasuke, thought the others were so far beneath you they were worthless. Arrogance. Ninja missions are carried out in squads. Of course, you need individual skills, but teamwork is the most essential element. Every shinobi understands this. When individuals put themselves above the squad, this can lead to failure, and death. For example, Sakura, kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies! That's what happens on a mission." _He is thinking about him and Obito._  
"Oh boy, that was really scary."  
"The enemy takes a hostage and you've got an impossible choice. Someone ends up dead. On every mission, you life is on the line." I threw out, knowing full well what he was talking about.  
"Did you look at this stone, the names engraved on it? They are all ninja who are honored as heroes in our village."  
"That's it! That's it! That's it! Now I know! I've decided I'm gonna have my name engraved on that stone. I'm not going to live and die for nothing like a dog. I'm going to be a hero! A hero!"  
"They are...a special kind of hero."  
"What kind of heroes are they? Come on, tell us."  
"They are all KIA." I said and looked away.  
"Ooh. That sounds real cool." _Naruto you idiot._  
"It means killed in action. They all died."  
"This is a memorial stone. The names of my closest friends are engraved here. Alright. I'm going to give you one more chance. But, I'm going to make it much harder on you. You'll have three hours to get a bell. Eat lunch now to build up strength. But, Naruto doesn't get any. It's your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself. And, if anyone tries to feed him, that person will immediately fail. I make the rules, you follow them. Got it?" Then he poofed away.  
I opened my bento box and thought of what Kakashi always told me growing up. "Here Naruto. If we're going to get the bells from Kakashi-sensei, we all will need to be at full strength."  
"But, Asura...I don't want you to fail." Then Sasuke offered his up.  
"Here."  
"What? No Sasuke, you can't do that. You heard what the sensei said."  
"Kakashi's gone. We need to get those bells as a team. If Naruto's hungry, he'll be weak and ineffective. That hurts the team and jeopardizes the mission." At that, Sakura offered hers too.  
"You'll have to feed him, he has no hands to use." I threw out.  
"Hurry up, he could come back at any minute."  
"This is one time only! That's it! I'll never do this again! Is that clear?"  
"Clear as a bell, Sakura." With that she went to feed him, and Kakashi appeared. _So, he was watching._  
"You! You broke the rules. I hope you're ready for the punishment." _He made the hand signs for Chidori. Isn't that a little over dramatic?_ I sweat dropped while everyone else freaked out. "Any last words?"  
"But...you...said..."  
"Yes?"  
"You said that there were four of us. That's why Sakura and I..." I started.  
"We're all on this squad and we're all in this together." threw in Sasuke.  
"Yeah, that's right! We gave our lunch to him because the four of us are one!" added Sakura.  
"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Believe it! That's right!" finished Naruto.  
"The four of you are one? That's your excuse?" after all of us were silent he continued. "Hn, you pass."  
"Huh?"  
"You. Pass."  
"What do you mean? How'd we pass?  
"You're the first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly as I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves. A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. That's true. But, those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."  
At that, Naruto started crying. "He's uh, you know, he's kinda cool."  
"The exercise is over. Everyone passes. Squad 7 starts it's first mission tomorrow!"


	3. Zabuza Mamochi

After that, we did a couple of useless missions, all D rank and all a waste of time. _I was trained by Juriya and Sarutobi-sensei. Why the hell do I need to do missions that involve finding a stupid cat?_ As Sarutobi-sensei began listing off more possible D rank missions, Naruto interrupted. "Nooo! I wanna go on a real mission! Something challenging and exciting, not this little kid stuff. Come on old man!" _Sadly, for once he's right._  
 _"_ Come on Sarutobi-sensei. For once he's right."  
"How dare you! You're just a brand new Genin with no experience!" _I beg to differ._ "Like everyone else you start with simple missions to develop your skills and prove yourself." _How does catching a stray cat prove anything_?  
"Are you serious? Babysitting is not a mission! It's just a stupid-" and Naruto was cut off by Kakashi hitting him in the head.  
"Will you put a lid on it?"  
"Naruto, it seems you do not understand the tasks you have been given. Listen, many different kinds of requests come into our village every day. From babysitting to assassinations. These requests are recorded, carefully analyzed, then ranked A, B, C, or D, depending on their difficulty. We ninja are also ranked by ability, Hokage at the top, Jounin, Chunin, and Genin at the bottom. At the highest level, we assign the missions based on the appropriate skill and experience." _Then why am I a Genin when I know Jounin level jutsu?_ "And if the mission is successful, we receive a fee that supports our village, and our work. Since you are untried Genin, just starting down the Shinobi path, you are given D level assignments of course."  
"So I had this Tongpachu ramen yesterday, and I'm thinking Miso ramen today-"  
"Silence!"  
"Oh, sorry." Kakashi threw in.  
"You always lecture me like you're my grandfather or something. But I'm not the little brat that used to pull pranks all the time. I'm a ninja now and I want a ninja mission!" _Sadly, I still agree._  
"I'm going to hear about this later."  
"Naruto wants us to no he's not a brat, he's a former brat. And he wants a mission. So be it. Since you are so determined, I'm going to give you a C ranked mission. You'll be body guards on a journey."  
"Really? Yes! Who? Who? Are we guarding a princess or some big wig counselor?"  
"Don't be so impatient. I will bring him in now. Send in our visitor."  
In walked a grey haired old man with a beer belly. I sweat dropped. _This is who we are guarding? What, does he owe alcohol money or something?_ "What the? A bunch of little snot-nosed kids?" He then took a long drink of the alcohol he had in hand. "And you, the little one with the idiotic look on your face, you really expect me to believe you're a ninja?"  
Naruto being the shortest in our group, proceeded to look around, realize it was him, and immediately snapped. "I'll demolish you! Lemme get my hands on him!"  
"You can't demolish the client Naruto, it doesn't work that way." Kakashi said while holding the idiot back.  
"I am Tazuna, a master bridge builder and I must return to my country. I am building a bridge there that will change our whole world and I expect you to get me there safely, even if it means giving up your life." _Why would he feel the need to add that, unless it might?_  
With that, we all left to pack. _I have a very bad feeling about this mission. I don't think it should just be a C rank._ As we all met at the front of the gate to leave the village, Naruto started cheering.  
"What are you so excited about Naruto?"  
"This is the first time I ever left the village. I'm a traveler now, believe it!" _What a sheltered child. I was never in the village until I started the academy._  
"Hey! Am I supposed to trust my life to this runt? He's a joke!" _He's more than you could ever imagine, Tazuna._  
"He's with me, and I'm a Jounin, so you really needn't worry."  
"Hey! Never insult a ninja, it's a big mistake! And I'm one of the greatest ninja ever! Someday I'm going to be Hokage and you'll look up to me! My name's Naruto Uzumaki, remember it!" _Cocky, isn't he._  
"Sorry to bust your bubble, Naruto, but we have to get through the mission first. One step at a time." I reminded him.  
"Hokage are powerful and wise. You are puny and brainless. The day you become Hokage, I'll sprout wings and fly."  
"Agh! Shut up! I'm willing to do anything to become Hokage, no matter it takes! And when I do, everyone will have to admit that I'm the top ninja, including you!"  
"You can become Hokage ten times over and to me you'll still be nobody. A loser."  
"I'm gonna make you pay for that right now!  
"Naruto! You're supposed to protect the client, not attack him." I said quietly before following Tazuna down the path. _I really have a bad feeling._  
As we were walking, I not only sensed two chakra signatures, but also noticed a pile of water. _It hasn't rained for weeks. This should be all dried up._ I had long since tuned out the conversation of my squad and focused solely on what was around me. Suddenly, Kakashi was wrapped with chains from assassins from the Village Hidden in the Mist. He was then ripped apart before our eyes. _He's not dead. I still sense his chakra signature. Smart move Kakashi-sensei._ As I got in front of Tazuna, the enemy ran behind Naruto. Sasuke, thinking quickly, pinned the chains to a tree using a shuriken and a kunai. He then kicked them both away, breaking the chains. One ran back towards Naruto, the other ran at Sakura and I. "Sakura, protect Tazuna. I can handle this. Bashosen: Coil of Wind!" I shouted as I used Wind Nature to create a gust of wind, pushing him back and me towards him. "Wind Release: Violent Wind Palm!" I then shot a gust of wind forward with a kunai in it and disposed of the threat, not killing him. Just then Kakashi appeared and saved Naruto by grabbing the neck of the other assassin, effective stopping him.  
"Naruto, sorry I didn't help you right away. I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I didn't expect you to freeze up like that. Good job Asura, and Sasuke very smooth. You too Sakura."  
"Hey, you're not hurt are you? Scaredy cat."  
"Enough, Sasuke. Quit goading him." I chided.  
"Naruto! Stand still. These ninja have poison in their claws. We need to take it out of you quickly. You'll have to open the wound and remove it. It's in your blood, so don't move around. That spreads the poison. By the way, Mr. Tazuna."  
"Yeah, what?"  
"We need to talk." He then tied up the ninja. "They are Chunin from the Village Hidden in the Mist. Their specialty is relentless attack. They keep fighting no matter what the sacrifice."  
"How did you know about our ambush?" Asked the less injured one. _I injured the other one pretty bad. Oops._  
"A puddle, on a clear day, when it hasn't rained in weeks."  
"In that case, why'd you leave it to the Genin to do the fighting?"  
"I could have taken them out quickly, but then I would have learned nothing. I had to know who their target was, and what they were after."  
"Hm. What are you getting at?"  
"This. I wanted to know if they were after us, ninja attacking ninja, or if they were after you, the master bridge builder. When you put in your request, you asked for standard protection from robbers and highway men. You didn't say there were ninja looking for you. Hunting you down. If we knew this, it would have been a B rank mission or higher. Our task was simply to get you to your destination, and protect you while you finish building your bridge. If we knew we would have been taking attacks from enemy ninja, we would have staffed differently, and charged for the cost of a B mission. Apparently, you have your reasons, but lying to us is not acceptable. We are now beyond the scope of this mission."  
"We're Genin. This is too advanced for our level of training." _Speak for yourself. As long as it isn't an S-class criminal, I can handle it. "_ We should go back. And I really think we need to treat Naruto's wound and get the poison out as soon as possible. Back in our village we can take him to a doctor."  
"Naruto's hand could become a problem. I guess we should go back to the village." The said idiot then took a kunai, stabbed his hand, and let the poison and blood flow out of the wound.  
"Why am I so different? Why am I always...argh!"  
"Naruto! Stop that! What are you doing?"  
"I worked so hard to get here, pushing myself until it hurt. Training alone for hours, anything to get stronger. To reach my dream. I will never back down again, and let someone else rescue me. I will never run away, and I will not lose to Sasuke. Upon this wound, I make this pledge. Believe it! Bridge builder, I will complete this mission and protect you with this kunai knife. Don't worry, I'll be fine."  
"Naruto, that was really cool how you took the poison out and all, but if you lose any more blood, you're going to die." I threw in and the idiot started running around and panicking. During all this, Sakura was lecturing him about masochism and I couldn't help but laugh. _It's not like the idiot won't heal within a few hours anyway. With being a jinchuriki, his healing is amazing._  
As we crossed the water, they all continued to talk, but I was more focused on what was around us. _I doubt those Chunin were the only thing that was sent after Tazuna. My guess is the next one will be a Jounin or higher._ We made it to land and Naruto started acting like a paranoid idiot. When he almost hit a white rabbit, my suspicion rose. _White, why would their be a white rabbit here?_ Then a giant sword came out of nowhere, and with it one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist. "Well well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi, rouge ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist." As Naruto went to charge him, Kakashi stopped. "You're in the way. Get back."  
"But, why?"  
"He's not like those other ninja. He's in a whole other league. If he's our opponent, you'll need your Sharingan, Kakashi." I said and activated my Byakugan.  
"Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye. Did I get that right?" Sasuke froze, knowing that the Sharingan is an Uchiha dojutsu. "It's too bad, huh. But you'll have to hand over the old man."  
"Now quick, Manji formation! Protect the Bridge Builder. And stay out of this fight. I taught you teamwork, now it's time to use it. I'm ready." I stayed where I was. "You too, Asura."  
"Not a chance in hell. This might actually be a challenge."  
"Well, it looks like I get to see both the Sharingan, and the Byakugan in action. This is an honor."  
"Everyone keeps saying Sharingan! Sharingan! Will someone please tell me what Sharingan is?" _You idiot, Naruto._  
"Sharingan. A rare power. It resides in the eyes. The user of this visual jutsu, called dojutsu, can instantly comprehend any genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu, and reflect the attack back on the attacker. The Sharingan is a special, rare for of dojutsu. However, there's more to the Sharingan than that. A lot more."  
"You got it right boy, but you only scratched the surface. The Sharingan can analyze an opponents technique, then copy it to the smallest detail. As for you, Jonnin, the assassination unit of the Hidden Mist had a standing order to destroy you on sight. Your profile was in our bingo book. It called you the man who copied over 1000 jutsu. Kakashi, the Copy Ninja."  
"Wow, that's so cool!" _Leave it to Naruto to be impressed with that._  
"And you, little girl. They call you the Asura, Demon of the Leaf. Because of your training with the Sannin, Juriya, and your mixed heritage, your said to be quite the interesting opponent, especially with your Gentle Fist. Enough talking. I need to exterminate the old man. Now!" The others ran to cover Tazuna. "So, I'll have to exterminate you two first, eh Kakashi? So be it." He pulled his sword out and vanished.


	4. The Demon of the Hidden Mist

As Zabuza disappeared and the mist thickened, I could feel the fear radiating off of Sasuke. For some reason, that bothered me. _Why should that bother me? He is only my teammate._ Kakashi and I both dispersed the mist with chakra, I could feel the boy shaking. "Sasuke! Calm down. I will protect you with my life. All of you."  
"Brave words Sensei. Can you back them up?" I threw in.  
"I will not allow my comrades to die. Trust me." Kakashi replied. I noticed the shaking stop and Sasuke seemed to calm down.  
"I wouldn't be so sure." Replied Zabuza, appearing in the middle of the manji formation the other Genin had been in. _Shit!_ "It's over. Don't move."  
At that both Kakashi and I jumped to block Tazuna and the others from being hit by Kubikiribocho, Zabuza's sword. _Why is it we had to find the executioner blade wielder out of all the 7 swordsman of the Mist? This thing is heavy!_ As I stopped the blade, Kakashi stabbed him with a kunai. The body dispersed into water. _A water clone?_ With that, another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi. "Sensei! Behind you!" Naruto exclaimed.  
The other Genin saw Kakashi be cut down. I saw the water that dropped from the water clone that Kakashi had made before. At that moment, the real Kakashi stepped out and stuck a kunai to Zabuza's jugular. "Now, it's over. You're finished."  
 _That was too easy. Something isn't right._ "Alright!" Exclaimed Naruto.  
Then Zabuza started to laugh. _I knew it._ "Finished? You really don't get it, do you? You're technique is nothing but a crass imitation. I could never be defeated by a copy-cat ninja like you. Or by a little girl. You are full of surprises though. You had already copied my water clone jutsu when you made your little speech. Very skillfully executed. You made your clone say those words to draw my attention." _Damn, he's good. They don't call him the Demon of the Hidden Mist for nothing._ "You hid in the mist, waiting for me to make my move. Nice try." _Shit_. "I'm not that easy to fool."  
With that, another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi. The water clone disappeared again as Zabuza swung. Kakashi dodged, but Zabuza landed a kick. "Wind Release: Blade of Wind jutsu" I tried, but Zabuza managed to dodge. _Damnit!_  
Next thing we knew, Kakashi was entrapped in a water prison jutsu. _This is bad._ Then with one hand, he summoned a water clone. _Really bad._ "Hey boys, we need a plan. Now." I said as calmly as I could.  
Of course, by some miracle, our knucklehead ninja thought of an idea. "Demon Wind Shuriken: Windmill of Shadows!" Sasuke said as he threw the shuriken, after being pretty well beat up and being saved by Naruto's shadow clones. Zabuza grabbed the first, and dodged the second, which was in the shadow of the first, until Naruto appeared behind Zabuza and attacked, which forced him to break the water prison Kakashi was in.  
As Zabuza went to throw the shuriken back at Naruto, I stepped in and blocked it with my arm, and Kakashi was right behind me. "Naruto, that was an excellent plan. You've really grown, haven't you?" Kakashi praised. _Well he couldn't get worse._  
Naruto then proceeded to explain his plan. "Don't brag. You just lucked out." Sasuke said.  
"The whole thing was just a fluke!" Tazuna yelled. _Tazuna respects him more than he will let on._  
"I got distracted and lost my grip on the water prison."  
"Don't flatter yourself. You were forced to let go." I said.  
With that, Kakashi and Zabuza went back at it, both doing a water dragons. They then proceeded to do a taijutsu battle in the water. After Kakashi-sensei psyched him out, Kakashi created a water vortex, pushing Zabuza back and wiping away much of the land. I came up behind, and hit a chakra point in his neck right as 2 senbon hit the same point. When I looked up, there was a tracker nin. _Strange. What is he doing here?_ "You were right. This was his last battle." With that, Kakashi started searching for a pulse. _Something really isn't right._ "Thank you. I've been tracking Zabuza for a long time, waiting for this chance to finally take him down."  
"By your mask, I see you're a tracker ninja for the Village Hidden in the Mist." I observed.  
"Impressive. You are very well informed." Naruto, of course, had to through in his two cents without knowing the situation. I looked towards Kakashi-sensei, then back at the tracker nin. When he took the body to a different location, I knew that wasn't the last we would be seeing of Zabuza, or the strange masked nin. And then Kakashi passed out. _Idiot, used too much chakra._  
That lead to us training more once we got to the village. We worked on chakra control, which I had learned by Jiriya. We had to run up trees using our chakra infused feet. Of course, Naruto and Sasuke couldn't get it. Sakura and I both got it on the first try. For days, the boys trained while Kakashi rested and Sakura and I escorted Tazuna. "What did you mean by you hate fan girls?" Sakura finally asked me.  
"You all follow around a guy that wants nothing to do with you. Doesn't that seem a bit stupid to you?"  
"But, I love him. I'm meant to be with my Sasuke."  
I sweat dropped at that. "Sakura, we're 12. We have a while to worry about it. Focus on being a better ninja and maybe Sasuke will notice you."  
"How do you know? You don't talk to Sasuke!"  
"I don't have to. He wants power. You don't give him power."  
She started ranting after that, but I tuned her out. The boys finally finished their training that night.  
The next day, I felt a chakra signature I hadn't felt in a while. While Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi went with Tazuna, I went off in search of that signature. _What would he be doing here?_ A few miles from the bridge, I ran into who I was looking for. _Itachi Uchiha._ "What are you doing here, Itachi."  
"I found out something interesting. I wanted to test the knowledge for myself."  
"And what knowledge would that be."  
With that, he attacked. Usually, he would just use genjutsu. However, for some reason, he avoided it. I activated my Byakugan, until Itachi touched my eyes. Suddenly, everything slowed down. It was like I could see every move he made, before he made it. "What did you do to my eyes?"  
"I activated something. It seems the knowledge I found out was right."  
"Whatever you did helped me. Why would you help me, when you are part of Akatski?"  
"That is a story for another time. Go find some water to look into. You will see what I have found out as I have." And with that, he left.  
I raced to the bridge, but when I got there, Sasuke was down, Naruto was in 9-tails mode fighting the masked boy, and Sakura was coward against Tazuna. Kakashi seemed to be fighting Zabuza again. "Ah the Demon of the Leaf has come at last. But what is wrong with your eyes?" Zabuza pointed out when I went to join Kakashi.  
Kakashi looked over and jumped. I looked into the water, and jumped as well. Itachi had activated Sharingan into my eyes.


	5. The Great Naruto BridgeThe Chunin Exams

As Kakashi-sensei prepared to strike Zabuza with Chidori, my Sharingan forgot for the moment, the masked nin, Haku, jumped in the way. He was saying that Zabuza was precious to him, and you must find someone precious to fight for. _Who is my precious person?_ Sasuke still hadn't woken up. Gato and his men showed up, and started to poke at Haku's body. "That is so messed up." I said, shaking with anger.  
Then, Naruto got started in. "What about you, Zabuza? Are you gonna let him do that?"  
"Be quiet you fools. Haku's dead. What does it matter?"  
"What?! You mean you can just stand there and watch him get treated like a dog? You and Haku were together for years! Doesn't that mean anything?" Naruto continued.  
"You don't understand the way of Shinobi. I merely used him just as Gato used me. Now, it's over. His usefulness is at an end. The loss of a strength and skill, yes, that means something to me. But the boy? Nothing."  
"If you mean that, you're an even bigger rat than I thought."  
"That's enough. Calm down, Naruto. He's not the enemy, not right now." Kakashi said, trying to intervene.  
"Shut up! As far as I'm concerned, he's enemy number one." _Give it a rest kid._ "Why you, you ungrateful, after everything he did for you. Haku lived for you! You were the most important thing in the world to him! And he meant nothing to you? Nothing at all? While he was sacrificing everything for you, you never felt anything at all for him? And if I become stronger, does that mean I'll become as cold hearted as you are? He threw his life away, and for what? For you and your dream? You never let him have a dream of his own. But he didn't care. And you just toss him aside, like he was nothing? A broken tool. Man, that's so wrong. That's so wrong!" _Not every strong Shinobi has no heart. Zabuza had his ripped out. Just as Itachi, and Minato did._  
"You talk to much." With that, Zabuza started to cry. "Your words cut deep, deeper than any blade. While he was fighting you, he was breaking in 2. You see, Haku was always too soft and too kind. He felt pain and sorry. And now, curse him, I feel them too. And something else, I feel content that this is the way it ends." He ripped the bandages from around his mouth off. "Well? Cat got your tongue? Are you so surprised to find I am human? Even Shinobi are human, no matter how hard we try to escape that simple fact, we always fail. Well at least, I have failed. Boy, give me your kunai."  
With that, Naruto tossed it to him and Zabuza attacked, taking out most of the thugs, and forfeiting his own life in return. The villagers showed up to help once Gato was taken down.  
With that, the bridge was finished and named The Great Naruto Bridge, since it was our knucklehead ninja that saved the day, and Zabuza's soul.  
We headed back to the village, and I ran into some nin from the Village Hidden in the Grass. _The Chunin exams must be close. I wonder if I'll finally get to meet the Demon of the Sand. After all, he is a year ahead of us rookie 10._ I wandered around the village, debating if I should go train or not, when I heard Konahamaru cry out. _Damnit, what did that kid get into now?_ When I got to him, a Hidden Sand nin was holding him up, with Naruto and Sakura trying to confront him. "Konahamaru!"  
"So, does this hurt, punk?" said the one with the cat ears and face paint.  
"Put him down, Kankuro, or you know you'll pay for it later." replied the blonde with the giant fan.  
"Hey, I'm sorry. The whole thing was my fault." Said Sakura, trying to smooth the situation.  
"You better take your hands off him right now!" _Damnit Naruto. You're making it worse._  
"We have a few minutes before he gets here. Let's mess with these punks, huh?"  
Konahamaru started to squirm. "Let go of me you jerk!"  
"I would advise you do as the child says." I threw in smoothly.  
"You're feisty, but not for long."  
Before I could reply, Naruto charged. _Damnit!_ "Put him down!" Suddenly, Naruto fell.  
 _So, he's a puppet master huh? I can deal with that._ I activated my Byakugan and started to get into my stance, until he spoke. "So, you're a Leaf Genin too? Looks like your village is full of wimps."  
"Don't be too cocky. That's just Naruto." I threw in.  
"That's it! Drop him now or I take you apart fool!"  
"You're the fool! Making threats isn't going to help, Naruto!" Sakura replied while putting him in a choke hold.  
"You're annoying, all of you. I don't like lumps, or any other scrawny weaklings. So when a wimp like this starts shooting off his mouth, I just want to break him in half."  
"I wouldn't advise that. But, it's not like any of you are listening to me anyway." I slid in.  
"Fine. I'm not involved in any of this, ok?" The blonde through in.  
"First, I'll take care of this little squirt. Then, I'll waste the other one."  
Just as he was about to punch Konahamaru, I threw a rock and so did someone else which hit his wrist. I looked up and saw Sasuke sitting in the tree. "You're a long way from home, and you're way out of your league."  
"Oh great. Another couple wimps to tick me off."  
Sasuke then crushed the other rock in his hand. "Get lost."  
"Hey punk. Get down here. You're the kind of pesky little snot I hate the most. All attitude and nothing to back it up." Something started to unravel from his back. _Must be his puppet._  
That upset his blonde companion. "What? You're going to use the Crow for this?" Then I sensed an enormous and foreign chakra.  
"Kankuro, back off." Everyone froze, but I was already looking at the kid with the blood red hair and seafoam eyes. He was hanging upside down behind Sasuke. "You're an embarrassment to our village."  
"Oh, I...hey, Gaara." _Gaara huh? So this is the Demon of the Sand. Subaku no Gaara._  
"Have you forgotten the reason we came all the way here?"  
"No..I mean I know. They challenged us really. See, here's what happened.."  
"Shut up, or I'll kill you." _Definitely the Demon._  
"Right, I was totally out of line. I'm sorry Gaara, I was totally out of line."  
"I'm sorry, for any trouble he caused." With that, he used the sand to move down to where Kankuro and the girl were. "Let's go. We didn't come here to play games."  
"Alright. Sure. I get it."  
"Hold on!" Sakura yelled. _Stupid girl, you must have a death wish._ "Hey!"  
"What?" The blonde asked.  
"I can tell from your headband, you come from the Village Hidden in the Sand." _Thank you captain obvious._ "Of course, the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind are allies. No Shinobi can enter another's village without permission. So state your purpose, and it better be good."  
"Sakura, what are you going to do if it's not?" I asked and the blonde chuckled.  
"Really? Have you guys all been living under a rock or what? You don't know what's going on, do you? We have permission. Of course you are correct. We are Hidden Sand Genin and our home is the Land of the Wind. We're here for the Chunin Exams. Get the picture?" the blonde replied snarkily.  
"The Chunin Exams? What's that? I've never heard of any Chunin Exams. Believe it." I sweat dropped. _Naruto, you're truly an idiot._  
"Oh I believe it alright. That you're totally clueless."  
Konahamaru explained and Sasuke jumped down. "Hey, you. Identify yourself."  
"You mean me?" Asked the blonde. _No. You're just support._  
"No, him. The guy with the gourd on his back."  
"My name is Subaku no Gaara. I'm curious about you, too. Both of you. Who are you?"  
"I am Sasuke Uchiha."  
"I am Asura Hyuuga. It's a pleasure, Demon of the Sand."  
Naruto popped up. "I bet you're dying to know my name, right?"  
"I couldn't care less." With that, the sand nin left.  
 _This year should be interesting. Demon of the Sand, Demon of the Leaf, Neji-niisan, and Lee. Plus the rookie 10. This should be fun._


	6. Kabuto Yakushi

After watching my teammate get beat up by my cousin Neji's teammate, we finally made it into the written part of the Chunin Exams. The fight wasn't worth the details. Sasuke got himself beat by the taijutsu master, or so Lee likes to think he is. Once we got into the room with all the other Genin, it was like a reunion of the rookie 10. Ino immediately jumped on Sasuke, and if it weren't for Shikamaru and Choji, her and Sakura probably would have gone at it. Of course Kiba, Shino, and my cousin Hinata were there as well, which lead to Hinata blushing, and me blocking out the annoyance that is Kiba Inuzuka. I couldn't help but just roll my eyes as he tried to challenge Sasuke. _That will be the day. Kiba vs. Sasuke. If an Inuzuka could beat an Uchiha, we'd have issues._ That invited Kabuto Yakushi over. _So, if he's here, where is Orochimaru?_ I activated my Byakugan and Kabuto jumped. "So, you're a Hyuuga as well. What else are you?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, you're blonde. I've never seen a blonde Hyuuga." To explain, yes I am blonde. I take after my mother, who was half Hyuuga, half Namikaze. She was Minato's half sister.  
"Doesn't matter."  
"Well, you guys might want to keep it down. I mean, no offense, but you're the 10 rookies right? Fresh out of the academy. I wouldn't go making a spectacle of yourselves. Just cool it. This isn't a class field trip."  
"Well who asked you? Who are you?" Ino yelled back.  
"I'm Kabuto Yakushi. But, really, look around you. You've mad quite an impression." I looked around and froze. The eyes that caught mine were those same, blank, seafoam eyes from yesterday. _Sabaku no Gaara._ Kabuto then explained about the Hidden Rain Village Genin and being touchy. Everyone was touchy. He then proceeded to explain that this would be his 4th year taking the exam. _So, he's bitching about us when he can't pass the exam? How is he Orochimaru's right hand man?_ He then pulled out info cards from his weapons pouch. He then explained how they use they exams to regulate the balance of power.  
"So can we see some stats of people, or are you just wasting our time?" I asked out of boredom.  
"Do those cards have any info on the other candidates, individually?" Sasuke asked.  
"They might. You two have someone special in mind?"  
"I might." Sasuke replied.  
"Well, I can't promise my information is complete. But, I have something on just about everyone. Including you guys of course. All except you, blondie."  
"It's Asura."  
"Right. Well everyone except you. Anyway, so which one is it? Tell me anything you know about them, a description, where they're from, wahtever. Anything at all."  
"He's Sabaku no Gaara. And Rock Lee of the Leaf Village while you're at it."  
"Man, that's no fun. You even know their names. That makes it easy. Here they are."  
"Show them to me."  
"Now, now Sasuke. Be polite." I chided good naturedly. "But if you wanted to know about Lee, you could have asked me."  
"Ok, first up is Rock Lee. Looks like he's about a year older than you guys. Mission experience: 11 C ranks, 20 D ranks. His squad leader is Gai. In the last 12 months, his taijutsu has radically improved. His other skills are pretty shakey. Last year, he got a lot of attention as a Genin, but for some reason decided not to participate in the exam. This will be his first time as a Genin, same as you guys. His teammates are Tenten and Neji Hyuuga." At that they looked at me and Hinata froze. _She didn't realize she might have to fight Neji or I._ "Now, for Sabaku no Gaara. Mission experience: 8 C ranks and, get this, 1 B rank as a Genin. There's not a lot more information on this guy. He was a rookie from another land originally. But, there is this. He survived every mission without getting a scratch on him."  
"The dude's done a B rank as a Genin, and has never even been injured?" Shikamaru exclaimed. _He's a jinchuriki._  
"I can tell you a little. It's the sand, it acts as a shield to protect him."  
As all the Genin from the other villages stared at us, Naruto just started to shake. Then the idiot just had to exclaim, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm going to beat every one of you! Believe it!" This of course set Ino and Sakura into another fit.  
The other Genin, how ever didn't take it well. A sound nin decided to attack, busting Kabuto's glasses with a chakra enhanced sound wave. Before more of the fight could ensue, Ibiki Morino showed up and the written exam was started. After looking at the 9 questions on paper, I realized no regular Genin would answer this. _So, they want us to cheat sneakily. Fine by me._ I hid my Sharingan behind my Byakugan and saw the 2 Chunin that were disguised as Genin. As I copied the answers, I noticed Gaara was who was sat next to me, and he had a floating eyeball made of sand. _Clever._ As it came my way, I slowly popped it with my Gentle Fist. The thirst for blood in his eyes became more prominent. _So, he has no control over the Shukaku. This isn't good. What is the sand planning?_  
As Ibiki finished with the 10th question, even after Naruto's little outburst, Anko Miterashi busted through the window and explained she would be the proctor for the next stage of the Exam. The next morning found us standing outside the gates of the Forest of Death, signing a waver, and recieving our scroll. The objective is to get the other scroll, and get to the tower. _So, will Orochimaru make his appearance here? What is he after?_


	7. Preliminaries

Before we could enter the gate, I was pulled aside by Anko. "The Hokage has given orders that you are to be excluded from this one. He wants you to act as a proctor would for this part. Don't worry kid, you'll get your chance in the last round." _Damn. I was looking forward to eliminating the competition._  
"Fine. Sakura, no matter, protect them both. You can't just focus on Sasuke. Sasuke, if you don't make it through, I will kick your Uchiha ass. And Naruto, try not to be a pest." With that I followed Anko to the proctor headquarters. From there, there was heavy talk of Orochimaru. "So you all know he is here?"  
"How do you know he is here, maggot?" Asked Anko harshly.  
"One of his henchmen is here. I was raised by Juriya. You think I couldn't track down that snake from miles away. He's in there. That's why I told Sakura to protect the boys. You know he's going to go after that last Uchiha. He always did have an obsession with Itachi." _At least the last Uchiha anyone knows about._  
"Anko, go see what you can find. With your curse mark, you have the most luck hunting him down. Hyuuga, just relax. We won't need you unless things get bad."  
"Right. By the way, check the Grass nin. Something was off about them."  
"That Byakugan doesn't miss much, does it?"  
"Nope."  
After Anko left, the room fell silent. That gave me a chance to think about what Itachi showed me. _So, apparently my father was an Uchiha. That doesn't tell me who. There were a lot of Uchiha with the Sharingan. And why would Itachi want to personally show me? Unless...we were more than just cousins._ "Hyuuga, stay alert. Anko is coming back in rough condition."  
"Right." I should mention that at 11 years old, I am the youngest Genin. I should also mention that I have been trained in some medical ninjustsu as well. What can I say, I'm a young jack of all trades. When they brought Anko in, I got straight to work healing what I could with my chakra. "I've done all I can. The rest is up to her."  
"Thanks kid. I owe ya one." With that, Anko and the Hokage, who had appeared at some point during my spacing out, proceeded to talk about her curse mark, and how Sasuke is the target. _Damnit, I hate being right. Sasuke, please be okay._  
The three days passed and I was brought into the central arena with the other Genin. _So, the rookie 10 made it. So did Neji's squad. And the squads from the Hidden Sand, Sound and Mist._  
While Hyate Gecko rambled on about the preliminaries that had to take place, I surveyed the Genin. _So, 25 of us made it. This will be fun._ Kabuto decided to drop out, despite Naruto's fit. "First up, Sasuke Uchiha vs Yoroi Akado." Then I noticed the curse mark on Sasuke's neck. _Shit, Orochimaru got him. You better not lose Sasuke._  
After being sucked almost completely try of chakra by Yoroi, Sasuke managed to pull through with the Lion's Barrage. Him and Kakashi then left. _Get that mark sealed Kakashi-sensei._ "Next up, Asura Hyuuga vs Samuri Hydeki." _So, I have one of the Mist Genin huh? This will be a piece of cake._ As I met him in the middle, Hyate went over the rules, or lack of rules. "Begin!" He yelled as he jumped out of the way. _Well, since he knows I'm a Hyuuga, no point in hiding the Byakugan. I'll make this quick and painful._ I activated my Byakugan and with one strike to the heart from my Gentle Fist, he was down and spitting up blood. "The winner is Asura Hyuuga."  
I walked back up to where Naruto and Sakura were and noticed I was being watched. I looked over and met with seafoam eyes. _Gaara. I can't wait to see what the Demon of the Sand is capable of._ "Show off." Sakura muttered.  
"Well, I have little chakra left and everyone here already knows about my Gentle Fist. Why show off what else I have before the final round?"  
"Little chakra left? You got to skip the forest!" Yelled Naruto.  
"I was needed elsewhere. Now keep quiet."  
I then watched as Shino beat Zaku with his bugs, and Kankuro beat Misumi by crushing his bones. "Next, Sakura Haruno vs Ino Yamanaka." _Shit. This isn't good. So much for a clean sweep from Team 7._ They tied, both passing out. Temari then knocked Tenten straight out. _It looks like the Sand get a clean sweep though._ Next, Shikamaru knocked Kin out by using his shadow possession jutsu and bending her back, so her head hit the wall. "Next, Naruto Uzumaki vs Kiba Inuzuka." _Well, this should be interesting._ Naruto won, barely sliding by with his Uzumaki Barrage. "Hinata Hyuuga vs Neji Hyuuga." _Shit, I have to stop this match. Neji will kill her._ As they took the field, Neji started up. "I never thought you and I would have to face each other Hinata."  
"Nor I, brother." Naruto proceeded to flip out until Kakashi, who had returned, explained they were more like distant cousins.  
"They aren't distant. Hinata is Hiashi's daughter, heiress to the Hyuuga clan. Neji is Hizashi's son. Hiashi and Hizashi were twins. My mother was their younger sister."  
"Before we do this, a word of advice. Hinata, listen to me. Withdraw now. You know you were never meant to be a ninja." _Like hell she isn't. She's capable of more than you realize, Neji._ "You're too kind and gentle. You seek harmony, and avoid conflict. You allow yourself to be easily swayed by others. Admit it, you have no confidence. You feel inferior to everyone else here. It would have been better for you to simply remain a Genin. But, to register for the Chunin exams, you need a team of 3 people. You never even wanted to take part in these exams. But, Shino and Kiba did, and you couldn't bear to let your teammates down, could you?"  
"No, you're wrong. You're wrong. I wanted...I had to find out. I did it because I wanted to see if I could change."  
"Hinata, you are the pampered offspring of the Hyuuga's main branch."  
"What?"  
"People can't change, no matter how hard they try." _You're wrong, Neji. She will prove it to you._ "They can't run away from their true nature. A failure will always be a failure. People are judged by their true nature. It is the way of the world. That is why we have an elite, and why there are outcasts. We can change our physical appearance. Improve our skills with training and studying. But, ultimately we are judged by what we can't change. What can't be changed must be indured. We are who we are Hinata, and we must live with it. Just as I must live with the fact that you were born into the elite of our clan, while I am from a lesser branch. I understand this because I see the world clearly through my Byakugan. Despite your brave words, what you're really thinking is that you would like to run. Run as far away from here as you can."  
"No, you're wrong. You're wrong about me."  
"My eyes cannot be deceived. Just one moment ago, in a slight movement your gaze drifted to the upper left corner of the room. I saw at that moment, you were thinking of your past. Your bitter past. And then, almost immediately after, your gaze drifted to the lower right. It was a mere flicker of the eyes, but to me, it revealed all of your mental and physical suffering. You're seeing your old self, and wondering if your life has prepared you for this moment. You're picturing the outcome of the battle. You see yourself losing. And the way you're holding your arms in front of your body like that? It tells me you're trying to build a wall between us, to keep me at bay. You want to keep me from raiding the deepest recesses of your mind. And why? Because everything I've said is true." _Just wait, Neji. You'll see what a tigress our cousin can be._ "Shall I go on? That familiar gesture of putting your finger to your lips? I know that it is a desperate attempt to suppress your rising panic, made all the more desperate because you know it's futile. It's all futile Hinata. You are what you are, whether you admit it or not. You already know."  
With that, Naruto interrupted, and like a switch, Hinata gained the fight in her eyes. "If you don't forfeit the match, you know what will happen."  
Hinata activated her Byakugan and got in the Gentle Fist stance. "Defend yourself, my brother."  
"Very well then." And they were off. It was like watching a dance with chakra explosions. I activated my Byakugan and saw it all. Every blow. _She won't win, Neji is blocking the chakra points. But, she sure as hell is giving him, and Naruto, a fight to remember._  
After being knocked down 3 times, barely getting up the third, and Neji telling her to admit defeat and release the burden of suffering, Hinata replied, "No, you're wrong brother. You've got it backwards. You see, I can tell that you're the one. You're suffering much more than I."  
"I what?"  
"You are the one who is all torn up about the fate of the main and side branches of the Hyuuga clan." With that, Neji went in for the kill. I poofed in front of Hinata while the Jonin all surrounded Neji, stopping him from killing her. Then, Hinata went into cardiac arrest.  
After she was taken off, I stayed to see Naruto's reaction. It was the first time he had truly seen Hinata. He scooped up some of her blood and said, "Hinata, I give you my word. I vow to win."


	8. Final RoundThe Sand Attacks!

From there, I left to go assist with Hinata's surgery. With all my chakra spent, I went back just in time to watch Gaara on the ground crush Lee's leg and arm with his sand. With that, he was helped back into the stands. Choji was then defeated by Dosu rather quickly. We were given who we would be facing in the final round, a month from now. I got Asukimi Lexira, another Mist Genin who had had to face her teammate. She was a fan of Zabuza's before he went rogue, so I figured her fighting style would be similar. _Works for me. I already know how he fights. She's no where near S-class anyway._ We then went our separate ways. Kakashi took Sasuke under his wing, which made sense since they are both lightning style. Naruto went off with Juriya, so I tagged along to watch as he taught him to summon Gamabunta. _I'm surprised that idiot could tap into the Kyuubi's chakra like that. Kyuubi must be in a decent mood, at least for a moody fox._ While they did that, I worked on my own wind and fire style jutsu. _Since I'm half Uchiha, it makes sense that I would have fire style. It didn't before, since I'm a Hyuuga/Namizake._ I then had the idea of trying to add a water style to the mix. _Since most Hyuuga are wind or water style, maybe I can add that to my arsenal._ Then I figured that I should mention what I know to Juriya. _Maybe he'll finally tell me who my father was, since I know he was Uchiha._ While Naruto was out doing Kami only knows what, I decided that was the best time. "Juriya-sensei, if I told you I know something about my father, would you tell me who it was?"  
"I guess that depends on what you know, and where you got your information."  
I then showed him my Sharingan. "I know he was an Uchiha, since Itachi forced the Sharingan awake. So which Uchiha was he?"  
Juriya sighed. "I figured this day would come. Let me start from the beginning. Your mother was born of a Hyuuga father and Minato's mother. They had an affair, which was found out when Hinami was born. She was taken in by her father, as her mother already had Minato and that was enough for her. Early on she showed not only a great ability in the Byakugan, but great agility as well. I guess being related to the Konoha Yellow Flash, she would have some speed. Your father, Fugaku Uchiha, found that desirable. He was later married to Mikito, to promote Uchiha bloodline. Being the son of, then the head of the clan made pressures unimaginable to Fugaku. Him and Mikito had Itachi, then later Sasuke, but that wasn't enough. Soon, he started to plan the coup on the Leaf Village. He desired to have a child that had more than just Sharingan, and didn't have hope that Itachi would develop Mangekyo Sharingan. So he had an affair with your mother. He felt so guilty after the one time, that he refused to have anything to do with Minami. So, she hid her pregnancy, which is why things went wrong. Fugaku never knew about you, not until the day of the massacre. He had gotten wind of it somehow only hours before he was killed. He must have written it down somewhere which is how Itachi found out."  
"Then why did Itachi wait until I graduated the academy and went on a A-rank mission to show me?"  
"The only time he saw you was when you were in the academy. When he was informing me of Akatsuki activity, he never saw you. By the way, to beat that Mist girl, work on your agility. Your mother was extremely fast. Maybe you will be too." He finished with a wink then went to check on Naruto.  
 _So, my brothers are trying to kill each other. I have brothers. I HAVE BROTHERS!_ I started to dance a little before I remembered I was in plain sight. I then returned to my training, amping up the agility aspect of it.  
Soon enough, it was the day of the final round. My match with Asukimi was first. "The rules are the same, that is there is no rules. The match stopped when either one concedes or dies. I of course can stop the match if I see fit. Ready?" Both me and the red headed Mist Genin nodded. "Begin!"  
We both jumped back and she tried to form a mist to cloud the arena. "That won't work on me. Didn't you learn anything from the prelims? I can still see you. Wind Release: Blade of Wind jutsu! Water Style: Water Fang jutsu! Fire Style: Phoenix Flower jusu!" I combined all three together, forming wind blades with water and fire swirling, cutting her down in one move.  
"The winner, Asura Hyuuga." I poofed back to the top where I saw Kankuro gaping at me. I sent him a wink then waited for Naruto and Neji's match to begin. Neji again ranted about fate and destiny, and at one point showed the Bird Cage Seal on his forehead. In the end, Naruto managed to pull it off, defeating Neji. While Neji was taken away, I saw Uncle Hiashi get up and head towards the infirmary. _Maybe it will do Neji some good._ The next match was supposed to be between Sasuke and Gaara, but Sasuke wasn't here yet. _He better show up. I don't want to have to kick my brother's ass. Brother!_ Since it was the main even, they moved Shino and Kankuro's match up, which Kankuro swiftly forfeited. _What is going on here?_ That moved it to Shikamaru and Temari's match. Using all his chakra, Shikamaru pinned her with his Shadow Possession jutsu, then forfeited the match. _Smart move. He was at his limit. That will get him Chunin._ Then it was the waiting game again. Sasuke and Kakashi appeared just as they were about to call time. _Really Kakashi?_ With the match proceeding, I saw Gaara look up at me and calm down, before going after Sasuke. While Gaara covered himself in a sand ball, Sasuke used the Chidori. _So that's what Kakashi-sensei was teaching him. Cleaver._ I heard Gaara let out a blood curtling scream and I froze. _Why does his scream bother me so?_ It was then that I felt the Genjutsu coming on. _Release!_ I noticed the spectators falling asleep. _This isn't good._  
"Kakashi-sensei, what is going on?  
"We're about to find out."  
Gaara came out of his ball and his siblings and sensei jumped in the way. Genma and Sasuke stood opposing them. By this point, the Hokage had a kunai to his throat by the Kazekage. It was then that I felt Orochimaru's chakra signature. _So, he posed as the Kazekage to get close. Impressive._ The sand trio took off, Kankuro carrying Gaara and Sasuke took off after them. Genma and Baki went at it. I went after Sasuke.  
Soon after I felt Shino trailing us. _Impressive. Even I couldn't have felt the beetle had I not felt his chakra signature._ I found the female beetle and put her on my headband. Some time later, I felt Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Pakkun's chakra. _So, Kakashi sent a squad after us. Not bad thinking._ I then felt Shikamaru stop and Asuma-sensei's chakra. _Well, he had to save the lazy soon-to-be Chunin didn't he?_ I paused as I felt Temari and Sasuke stop. When Sasuke went ahead, I followed Temari. When I felt them pause again, I paused as Shino passed me. "Thank you for caring for her." He said as he passed.  
I felt Kankuro and Shino fighting so I went around and was met with the sight of a half-transformed Gaara facing Sasuke. _So, that's why he's called the Demon. He's a jinchurikii as well. He's like Naruto, only bitter._ I stopped and waited for the others to catch up when I felt Sasuke's chakra flare. _Not good, not good, not good. The seal is lose. The curse mark is taking over._ I jumped in just as Naruto jumped in front of me. HIm and Gaara proceeded to go at it while Temari cowered and I tried to remove the sand from Sakura. _It's no use. This is from the Shukaku. I can't make it budge._ Just as Naruto and Gaara fell to the ground, both exhausted of chakra due to their fight, I felt the Sand Nin retreating from the village. _What happened there?_ I jumped down in front of Naruto right before Sasuke did. Then Temari and Kankuro jumped in front of Gaara. "Temari, Kankuro. That's enough. It's over."  
"Yeah, okay Gaara." Kankuro said looking shocked and picked up Gaara. _Maybe the Demon can be saved. It just took Naruto. Maybe he really is Minato's son._  
We retreated back to the village, only to be stopped with the news. The Third Hokage was dead.


End file.
